Alexis Sanchez may well have been among the hundreds of well-wishers who dropped Arsene Wenger a Whatsapp message on Friday morning after the Arsenal boss finally announced he was stepping down after 22 years at the club he loves, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The Chilean appeared desperate to leave Arsenal, but he will have not forgotten that he played some of the best football of his career under Wenger, who indulged him as the club's main man.

Sanchez's body language often frustrated his team-mates in his three-and-a-half seasons at the Emirates, but Wenger saw it as a positive. That desperation to win was something that some of his greatest players - from Patrick Vieira to Thierry Henry - all had.

So much so that Sanchez even made himself available for Arsenal's clash with Crystal Palace - just two days before he completed his move to United - even though he knew he would have got a mixed reception from his own fans as the saga played out.

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Was it any wonder that Wenger resisted twisting the knife once Sanchez left for an eye-watering salary at United?

"I ask you what is the difference between a professional and a mercenary? I wouldn’t say he is a mercenary. For me it is not a problem the money you pay. What is important is what you do once you have signed someone," he mused.

"If I sign for Arsenal tomorrow for one pound then my responsibility is exactly the same if I sign for £100m. I will give my best once I signed. I don’t care what the others make."

Alexis Sanchez and Arsene Wenger.

Wenger, who rarely goes a day without watching a game, will be among those watching on when Arsenal's bitter rivals, Spurs, face United at Wembley on Saturday.

The Frenchman may have missed out on the chance to win a record eighth FA Cup - the holders were embarrassingly knocked out by Nottingham Forest in January - but the thought of Spurs winning it would make it even worse.

Remarkably, Tottenham have not won the FA Cup since Wenger turned English football upside down back in 1996 but the reality now is that Arsenal are the second best team in north London.

So could Sanchez give his old manager the perfect going away present?

The Chilean has scored five goals in four FA Cup ties at Wembley, including winning goals in two semi-finals, but he might not even start against Spurs.

Having initially been indulged by Mourinho, who refused to take him out of the firing line, rarely even tinkering with his favoured position, Sanchez has been left on the bench in two of the last five games.

The United boss may yet opt to start with the pace of Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard on the flanks, but you can bet that Sanchez will be desperate to make a telling impact from the bench.

And silence Spurs' boo boys.

“I think he doesn't care,” Mourinho previously said ahead of United's visit to Wembley in January. “I think he's probably going to get that kind of reception everywhere – the previous rivalry between Spurs and Arsenal doesn't matter. I think he’ll get a little bit of that everywhere.

“He’s that kind of player – with all of his experience, I think he's used to it. Even in South America, I don’t think it’s easy for a Chilean to go and play in Brazil, Argentina or Paraguay, so I think these guys grew up with a certain level of experiences that I don’t think is a problem for him at all.”

Arsene Wenger celebrates with Alexis Sanchez.

Even Arsenal fans will be cheering him on. One last time.

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